Coffee Ratio Calculator
Good coffee at home is mostly about the ratio of coffee to water. Pick how you brew, how many cups and how strong you like it, and the calculator gives you grams to weigh out. A cheap kitchen scale is the single best coffee upgrade, but tablespoons are shown too.
Milder or stronger
The same amount of water at different ratios. Change one thing at a time until you like it.
| Strength | Ratio | Coffee |
|---|
How it works
- Water = cups × cup size (1 ml of water weighs 1 g)
- Coffee = water ÷ ratio. A 1:16 ratio means 1 g of coffee for every 16 g of water
- Strength: mild adds 2 to the ratio, strong takes 2 off (1 for cold brew and moka)
- Tablespoons: one level tablespoon of ground coffee is about 5 g
Cold brew concentrate is mixed about 1:1 with water or milk before drinking, so the cup size here is for the concentrate.
Three things this tool can't see
- Your grind. Too fine tastes bitter, too coarse tastes sour or weak. Grind size matters as much as the ratio.
- Your beans. Roast and freshness change how strong coffee tastes at the same ratio.
- Water lost in the grounds. Coffee soaks up some water, so your cup will be slightly smaller than the water you pour.
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